Easter And Its Associated Road Accidents; Viewpoint Of The Clergy

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Compiled by: Mabel Daniels & Lucy Ayambilla

Easter is the period when the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ is remembered and celebrated by Christians all over the world.
But the occasion has been marred by incidents of road accidents, especially in Ghana year after year.
SpyGhana solicited the view of some members of the Clergy on the causes some these road accidents.

Rev. Mark Amoanu Arthur-Ghana Baptist Convention of the Emmanuel Baptist Church
Rev. Mark Amoanu Arthur-Ghana Baptist Convention of the Emmanuel Baptist Church

Rev. Mark Amoanu Arthur-Ghana Baptist Convention of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, G.Afransi
Easter is the period when we, as Christians remind ourselves of the death and resurrection of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
During the occasion, Christians are expected to worship God in a sober reflection in commemoration of the event.
But the celebration has taken a different dimension, as Christians who are expected to understand the essence of the celebration engage in all manner of activities such as going to the beach and partyingwhich is in sharp contradiction to the celebration of the occasion.
Even some Churches, instead of using the occasion to embark of on outreach evangelism to win more souls for God, rather take their congregation to the beaches to engage in other negative social activities in the name of celebrating the occasion.

Odeefo Aba Nana-Founder, Emmanuel Prayer Camp, G.Afransi
Odeefo Aba Nana-Founder, Emmanuel Prayer Camp, G.Afransi

Odeefo Aba Nana-Founder, Emmanuel Prayer Camp, G.Afransi
Easter is the period when Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for His immense love to mankind, even to the point of death on the cross.
In celebrating the occasion, all human beings, irrespective of their belief or religious background,are expected to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth through prayers in commemorate the occasion.
But what do we see today? Christian youth who are to serve as role modelto the outside world engages in negative social activities that has nothing to do with the occasion, and this is worrying.
Hardly a year passes without hearing of either someone drowned in the sea because they went swimming during Easter festivity, or people getting involved in accident.
You know, the devil is always at war with God?s children, and will devour them with the least opportunity.
The responsibility lies on pastors to engage their congregation in activities within their church premises to ensure that such unfortunate incidents are avoided.

 

Apostle Seth Clottey-Christ Power Point Chapel, Ag.Swedru
The celebration of Easter is an instinct within every true believer of God to demonstrate the true Godly nature in him or her.
It is the period when true Christians demonstrate this instincts by remembering the immense love demonstrated by Jesus Christ to the extent of laying His life as ransom to human kind on the cross at Calvary.
But somehow, Christian youth of today and some church leaders have associated the celebration of the period with other negative social activities just to appease the appetite of their members.
But we should not lose sight of the fact that the devil is in constant war with God to ensure that more of God?s children, even including members of the Clergy are swayed into his kingdom, and will not relent in his effort in ensuring that this purpose i9s achieved.
That is why you often here of people drowning in the sea during Easter to make Christians lose faith in the celebration of the period.
With road accidents that occur during the period of Easter, I will say God has a purpose for everything that happens for a particular reason, though sometimes some of these accidents occur as a result of human negligence.
Let us not also forget that not everybody who goes to church is a Christian. We have people who are really born again Christians and their character and conducts athirst to this facts, and we also have people who were born into the church and therefore see attending church service as a routine. These are the people that the devil succeeds in luring them into his kingdom during such period.
I will tell you one surprising gospel fact. There are a lot of Pastors who are agents of the devil, and there are instances where these pastors have manifested in people during deliverance services in my church, and I have recordings of such encounter to prove my claim.
Another surprising aspect is that these pastors are said to have attended Bible schools. This goes to prove the point that attending a Bible School does not guarantee one the power to become a pastor. Pastoral work is a calling by God.
So in effect, I will advise Christians, particularly the youth to do away with any negative social activity during the period of Easter and celebrate the occasion in prayer with sober reflection of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save mankind.

 

Pastor Dinah Asamawamah-African Faith Tabernacle Church-G.Jukwa
The celebration of Easter is to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for mankind, irrespective of their religious background or place of origin.
During the period, Christians are expected to rejoice for the simple fact that their Lord and savior Jesus Christ overcame the power of darkness by rising from death after the third day of His crucifixion.
But celebrating the period does not mean people should make merry by going to the beach and engage in all sorts of negative social activities. That is not the purpose of Easter.
Rather, they should gather and pray, thanking God for giving them such a savior, and I will therefore entreat all pastors to organize intensive indoor church activities to engage their members, especially the youth, so that they do not involves themselves in any such negative social activities during the period of Easter.

 

Very Rev. Joyce Suzy Kurankye-Supt. Min. of the Methodist Church-G.Manso Circuit
Easter symbolizes the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it the period when Christians all over the world celebrate this period.
In doing so, Christians are expected to reflect on the pain Jesus Christ endure on the cross for our freedom from bondage.
But unfortunately, the period has been marred with worldly activities that have nothing to do with the celebration of the festival.
Instead of engaging in prayers and other church activities, Christians of today, especially the youth turn to engage in worldly activities such as going to the beach to swim and partying, and these often lead to unfortunate and unexpected incidents like drowning and accidents.
Though it is good to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from death, I will say the jubilation should be in moderation so as to avoid such unfortunate incidents during the festivity.

Rev. Isaac AnketellBentil-MDCC,G.Manso
Rev. Isaac AnketellBentil-MDCC,G.Manso

Rev. Isaac AnketellBentil-MDCC,G.Manso

No one can condemn any Christian for celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which marks the period of Easter,but the way some Christians celebrate the occasion nowadays, especially in our part of the world, leaves much to be desired.
I think instead of going out to the world to engage in negative social activities, leaders of Churches should map out programmes that will engage their members in their Church premises and other religious activities such as outreach programmes to engage their congregation.
Easter does not mean going to the beach and engaging in parties in the name of merry-making during the celebration of the period, but rather a time when true Christians should demonstrate to the outside world the immense love of their Lord Jesus Christ who came from His Heavenly abode to lay down His life as ransom to save the world.
In effect, Easter should be seen as a time for sober reflection of one?s life to reflect the true resemblance of the life of Jesus in them.

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Rev. Nana Osei Owusu Fosu-District Minister, Bethel Presbyterian Church-Ag. Swd.

A number of people have associated the celebration of Easter with worldly activities, making the whole festivity unchristian, which is very unfortunate.
But in real sense, the occasion is to mark activities of the life of Jesus Christ leading to his arrest, trial crucifixion, His agony on the cross, His death, resurrection and appearance to the disciples and the promise of His second coming.
During the celebration of that event, Christians are expected to reflect on all of these in prayers and fasting, but not to engage in activities that are not in conformity with the occasion suchas going to the beaches and organizing other negative social events.
I will not say Christians, and for that matter churches should not embark on trips to the beach, provided they are going to expose their congregation to the beautiful and miraculous nature of the handy work of God like witnessing the roaring of the sea with its tides and waves.
That will make them appreciate the might of God, but not to go and enjoy themselves by swimming.This excess of celebration often leads to some unfortunate incidents such as drowning and accidents.
I will recommend that in marking the occasion, churches should rather organize programmes in the premises to celebrate the event to make their members understand the true essence of Easter.

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